Endorsement Letters To The Editor – May 16, 2012
Note: Below are May’s political endorsement letters so far. Please remember to keep your letters succinct, and include a name and phone number. You may attach illustrative photos when they help make your point. – Ed.
Lovelace fails, bring on Brooks
I have always admired and do enjoy being around Alex Stillman so I feel compelled to address the reasons for her endorsement of Mark Lovelace for supervisor. She and many others may not understand the context of those accomplishments.
The redundant fiber optic cable that Mark was involved in is only available to those with a specific subscription not the general public. Mr. Lovelace was absent when Cypress Grove sought to put their dairy goats on agriculture land next to their processing facility in Arcata.
As far as helping them find a place to remain in Humboldt County, Cypress Grove had previously investigated the place they now have in Dows Prairie which was obviously not their first choice. That move ended up eliminating an existing stabling business that housed 35 horses and was residence for two families. And while there has been a lot of energy directed toward the Ridge Trail we are going to have to be a lot more creative to effect its completion as grant monies are drying up.
I support Karen Brooks because I regularly see her at trail meetings, Karen has the marketing background we really need and she shows respect and even appreciation for those with differing perspectives and ideas. She is clearly smart enough to understand that no one political party or perspective has a monopoly on good ideas. Karen for Humboldt please.
Uri Driscoll
Arcata
As seen on Old Arcata Road. Photo courtesy Roger Eckart
Stumped
Political comment? Not thinking? Same thing?
Roger Eckart
Bayside
Adams brings renewal
It is so easy to become jaded about electoral politics. I’m an eternal optimist and even I have lapses. So much money is spent on campaigns and lobbying and the money-backed congressional results, it becomes hard to see how one person can make difference. Once in a while someone shows up who is different; someone who is not backed by the establishment and is not heavily funded by special interest groups.
Susan Adams has the essential elements of someone who actually looks, feels and will be different when she enters Washington. Her weaknesses: she does not look like, talk like or act like a politician. Her strengths: ditto.
You can learn more about her, SusanAdamsForCongress.com.
Julie Fulkerson
Trinidad
Lovelace a SmartSupe
I would like to set the record straight regarding an accusation made by Karen Brooks against Mark Lovelace recently in a local newspaper. For several years, I have been the point person in Humboldt County educating and organizing around the dangerously unhealthy levels of microwave radiation emitted by PGandE’s Smart Meters. Ms. Brooks reportedly stated that “when PGandE installed Smart Meters he [Mark] didn’t do anything about it, even though people in the district didn’t want them.”
In reality, Mark was one of the few local officials that seriously considered this issue and took action on it. He took the time to meet in person with me and others to listen and discuss our concerns. He sought out information on the issue and spoke to supervisors in other counties to learn what other communities were doing. Mark spearheaded the drafting of letters expressing customers’ concerns. These letters were later approved by the Board and sent to PGandE and the CPUC on behalf of our community.
The Smart Meter issue is not yet completely resolved. However, thanks to Mark and other responsive officials and activists, PGandE customers can now help protect their health and privacy by opting out of a Smart Meter. Mark Lovelace deserves our thanks and our votes for Third District Supervisor for the work he has done on this and many other important issues.
Beverly Filip
Eureka
Creepy birthday to you
How sweet. Last week I got a birthday card from Karen Brooks, whom I don’t know. In it, she promises to advocate for the protection of my privacy. So, stalking down the date of my birth must be Step One in privacy protection?
Mary Ann Madej
Arcata
Shane & Sofia for HCDCC
As a longtime member of the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee (HCDCC) representing the Third District who has decided to no longer continue on this important political committee, I am asking voters in the Third Supervisorial District to vote for Shane Brinton and Sofia Pereira in this upcoming election.
Both Shane and Sofia are young members of our community who are active in local politics who will bring much needed progressive and open-minded representation to HCDCC.
Shane, who has actively worked on local campaigns, is running the Norman Solomon congressional campaign here in Humboldt County. In addition to this, he is currently on the Arcata City Council and has been elected and served on the Northern Humboldt High School District.
Sofia is currently running the Stacey Lawson congressional campaign in Humboldt County. While attending HSU, she was the president of the HSU student body. Recently she has organized and is chair of the North Coast Young Democrats, representing Democratic voters age 35 and under.
Both will bring to the HCDCC the needed prospective of a youthful outlook with a community-oriented vision and social and personal responsibility. As an individual who was worked locally on political activities for many years, I find their youthful exuberance to be refreshing.
Let’s give Shane and Sofia the support they deserve and show other potentially politically active young people that they too have the support of other community members. Vote for Shane Brinton and Sofia Pereira on Tuesday, June 5.
Chris Jenican Beresford
Bayside
Solomon’s smart direction
There is a Democratic president in the White House, but sometimes you wouldn’t know it. Barack Obama often seems only too willing to give in to the more Republican ways without much of a fight.
Instead of standing up for the 99 percent, we now have an administration that continues to maintain the defense budget at lofty levels just as his Republican predecessor did.
To make matters worse, the administration has also compromised with the Republicans and allowed the Bush’s tax cuts for upper income earners that would have otherwise already expired to continue on. As a result, there are both misallocated and reduced revenues which together put a substantial squeeze on programs that would otherwise benefit the 99 percent.
What is required is funding for programs to support needed infrastructure which would promote job creation, education which would underpin the future of America, and health care reform which could free us from being pawns of the medical insurance industry.
Norman Solomon is the candidate for our new congressional district who best understands the need for changes such as these, and if elected, would work to reverse the current trends. He is a well-respected progressive who has fought for decades to get the progressive voice heard over the seemingly louder and more pervasive right-wing view presented by Fox News and others. If elected, he would support a Democratic administration, but he would also let them know when he disagrees with them.
For example, he would be an advocate for reductions in the defense budget and a transformation of the current private health care system to a more efficient universal single payer health care system analogous to Medicare for all.
He would also oppose the privatization of Social Security, a failed concept put forth by the preceding Bush administration that seems to be rearing its ugly head again. Solomon is best able to do this because he is running his campaign by individual donations without the use of corporate moneys. This means his efforts won’t be limited after he is elected because of favors owed to others such as members of the defense, medical, or insurance industries.
Some people are supporting other candidates because they say that their candidate is better able to hit the road running. I would say, first look and see what direction the candidate is actually going. In my opinion, Norman Solomon is going in the right direction and has earned my support. His goal is to make America a better place for all of us, and I would hope that that’s the same direction you too would like us to go.
Sherman Schapiro
Blue Lake
Adams for the future
Susan Adams just had a very successful, standing room only, fundraising dinner at the Wharfinger. I want to thank the people who attended for their overwhelming support. Special thanks to the co-hosts for this event; Virginia Bass and Mark Lovelace, Julie Fulkerson, Felicia Oldfather, Dr. Ken Miller, Pam Ford Cavanaugh, Javan and Alex Reid, Bob and Ginny Felter, Anita and Carl Fullbright, Jane Wood Ward, Paul Salzman, Lee and Chris House, Sara Turner and Thea Gast, Marianne Pennekamp and Barbara Kennedy, Midge Brown and Bob Lawton.
Susan Adams, a County Supervisor, nurse, educator, mother and grandmother was welcomed enthusiastically. She talked about her vision of creating green jobs throughout this District as she has done in Marin County.
Susan also talked about her deep roots in our community, where she’s long spent time with her brother and his family in Carlotta and if elected will maintain a residence here. She emphasized her work as a champion for the consumer by winning battles with corporations such as PG&E and Sutter Health to protect families and seniors.
Having worked over 30 years in health care and women’s health, she would work to enact Medicare for all and preserve Social Security for future generations.
Susan Adams’ agenda for an America that Works is to create jobs by ending tax cuts for millionaires and reinvest that money into infrastructure, schools and the economy. It was agreed that a vote for Susan Adams is a vote for a Congress that works.
I would also like to thank my committee, Barbara Carolan, Jane Woodward, Susan Penn, Nancy Starck, Irma Watts, Donald Forrest Sharon Ferrett, Sarah Peninsi and Jennifer Coriell.
Pam Cahill
Bayside
War of the Worlds
In my mail this week I received an extreme and exaggerated hit piece by Karen Brooks against Mark Lovelace. The first things I noticed were two pictures of the Plaza Point affordable senior housing project in Arcata. Karen prominently features this project as a very negative example of what she terms, “social engineering,” which Mark would supposedly impose on all of us if he is re-elected as county supervisor.
In addition to being mayor of Arcata, I have donated hundreds of unpaid hours of my time as the energy analyst on this fine project. Apparently Karen prefers that the site of Plaza Point be left as a gravel parking lot rather than be high-quality, solar-powered affordable housing for seniors in easy walking distance of downtown Arcata with close to zero energy bills for residents.
From the Brooks mailer: Are all of the residents in the 28-unit Plaza Point complex supposed to live instead in sprawling farmhouses? And what about the multiple high-density housing developments festooned with Brooks for Supervisor signs in Arcata, operated by Brooks’ own major backer, Steve Strombeck?
Karen’s target is even stranger because Plaza Point is a Danco project in Arcata, a project in which Mark and Humboldt County have no involvement.
I support Mark for supervisor because he works for policies that offer a wide variety of housing for people of all incomes. Mark supports more compact development which protects our farms and forests and reduces costs for Humboldt County to provide services. Before he became supervisor Mark led the successful effort to both save the Sunnybrae Forest and keep it as a working forest.
I reject the myths and fantasies offered by Karen Brooks and support real, affordable and sustainable choices that Mark Lovelace works for every day.
Michael Winkler
Arcata
